section 1
We live in a culture of self, but as followers of Christ we are to deny our self mark 8:34 as we follow Him. But what does this mean? What is this self that we are to deny? Humanity has a great amount of self-focus, and yet to deny one’s self, one still needs to be aware of self in order to put it to death romans 6:6-7 . In general, we all know our own thoughts and thus think we are naturally self-aware i corinthians 2:11 , but the self easily deceives to justify it-self jeremiah 17:9 job 40:8 rather than clearly enabling us to give that self it’s just response colossians 3:5-10 . On one hand we are not to be self-focused, but on the other hand if we are to put that self to death, we still need to be very much aware of our self by sober, unbiased, realistic, Truthful judgment galatians 6:3 romans 12:3 . Yet there is hypocrisy in our thinking since we are naturally self-focused and yet terribly unaware of our self.
And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
my notes:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
my notes:
section 2
Sadly, we as Christians often think we are not self-focused when we very much are because we are actually very much unaware of our self ecclesiastes 5:1 proverbs 4:19 i john 2:11 . We are blinded by our own self’s hypocritical sin matthew 7:3-5 . There is an irony in our response to self. We think ignoring self is the same as putting it to death not realizing that the self unexamined ii corinthians 13:5 and unchecked james 3:14 proverbs 4:23 produces more and more ignorant self focus i peter 1:14 i peter 4:7 . When we are not wise enough to even control our self jeremiah 8:4-9 we are no wiser than an unthinking creature of instinct ii peter 2:12 jeremiah 2:23-25 . We often don’t know what our self is doing, but Jesus is offering us the grace to become spiritually aware of self and thus be free luke 23:34 hebrews 5:2 john 8:32 .
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
my notes:
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
my notes:
"Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: " ‘When people fall down, do they not get up? When someone turns away, do they not return? Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle. Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. " ‘How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?
But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
my notes:
"How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there, a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving— in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her. Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up His clothes by casting lots.
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since He is also clothed with weakness.
my notes:
section 3
We are unaware of our self, but we should become aware of it in order to control it properly i peter 4:7 . The problem for us is that we are too naturally in love with our self {Philautoi} ii timothy 3:2 . We care about our self a lot philippians 2:21 . The solution to snatching self out is the two-pronged fork of Agape and Miseo. We need to learn by practice and perseverance to love {Agape} God and others i john 3:16 at the very cost of self {Miseo} luke 14:26-27 . This is done positively by doing good in all opportunities i thessalonians 5:15 james 4:17 galatians 6:10 , and at the same time, negatively by denying our self-ish desires leviticus 23:29 luke 9:23 . We vivify the new self while also mortifying the old self ephesians 4:22-24 john 12:24-26 . Christ grows up in us as self decays away galatians 4:19 galatians 2:20 john 3:30 so that ultimately, we experience a new self that selfLESSly delights in the Lord instead of selfishly clinging to one’s old self isaiah 58:13-14 psalm 37:4 .
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
my notes:
By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
my notes:
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.
And He said to all, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me.
my notes:
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you...
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the LORD will be your delight.
my notes:
section 4
There are many buzzwords and catch phrases promoting the world’s selfish philosophy as good colossians 2:8 isaiah 5:21 , but we need to remember that humanity and God have a conflict of perception i corinthians 1:20-24 , interest philippians 2:20-21 jeremiah 29:11 ii peter 3:9 and purpose ephesians 1:11-12 romans 8:28-30 . Self-esteem, self-care and self-love are all being lauded as virtues when they are actually vices isaiah 5:20 . While we have already looked at self-love in the principles of Agape and Miseo, we should address these other hallow, deceptive philosophies as well.
Self-esteem is a thin veil over selfish-ambition james 3:13-16 romans 2:8 and self-deception galatians 6:3 isaiah 40:17 john 8:54 ; instead of self-esteem we should cultivate self-examination ii corinthians 13:5 galatians 6:4 romans 12:3 , self-control ii timothy 1:7 i thessalonians 5:6 , and self-exchange ephesians 4:17-24 colossians 3:9-10 .
Self-care could almost be legitimate ephesians 5:29 i timothy 4:8 if not for the corruption of our sinful self takes advantage of romans 7:11 in our self-ishness zechariah 7:6 and self-pride habakkuk 1:11 ; instead of self-care we should build up trust in the Lord luke 12:22-34 while learning self-denial mark 8:34 i corinthians 9:24-27 in carrying out our God-given response-abilities john 21:21-22 ii corinthians 13:5-8 . This is practically enacted by the awareness of what your own self seems to need or want as a prompt, not to care for your self, but to become even more aware philippians 2:3-4 i corinthians 15:34 and opportunistic ephesians 5:14-16 galatians 6:10 towards others in meeting their needs matthew 7:12-27 i corinthians 13:1-3 (Note: the storms of your life reveal your true self and show you what you lack of faith in your relationship with the Lord).
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
my notes:
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
my notes:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Before Him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by Him as worthless and less than nothing.
Jesus replied, "If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. My Father, Whom you claim as your God, is the One Who glorifies Me.
my notes:
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled.
my notes:
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?
They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.
Then Jesus said to His disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you—you of little faith!
And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
my notes:
And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"
my notes:
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
This is why it is said: "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
my notes:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
my notes:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
my notes:
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
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NASB = NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
NKJV = New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.